


My Giant Brony: Hunting Things That Do Magic

by LiteraryMinion



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Supernatural
Genre: Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-12
Updated: 2013-05-08
Packaged: 2017-12-08 05:48:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/757785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiteraryMinion/pseuds/LiteraryMinion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Team Free Will comes to Ponyville. The Mane Six get acquainted with them and try to help them out as Huggy Bear tries to figure out the nagging sensation that something is amiss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I probably will not finish this.
> 
> I started this with the idea it would be kind of funny, but I kind of lost interest. Probably because I couldn't help but try to insert a plot, when the real point was just to get the characters together for the sheer absurdity of it. I mean, come on. Pony!Dean. Absurd, right? 
> 
> But, even though I probably won't finish this, my other fic was all lonely on my dashboard, so here is my weirdness. Enjoy it, such as it is.
> 
> This is more MLP-oriented than SPN.
> 
> I also drew pictures of Pony!Team Free Will, but my stupid scanner refuses to work right now. I may eventually post the pics.

Twilight Sparkle rested peacefully in the meadow under the summer sun, reading an Equestrian history text. Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie were nearby, lazily basking in the sun on their blankets; that is, with the exception of Rarity, who preferred basking on her fainting couch, which she had magically dragged out the door after her in a flagrant waste of unicorn horn-magic. Pinkie Pie had naturally brought along vittles for the group in picnic baskets, and happily munched away at some cupcakes.

“Whatever could be taking Rainbow Dash so long?” Rarity wondered out loud. “She should’ve been here by now.”

“Well, maybe somepony challenged her to a race or somethin’,” Applejack suggested.

Twilight looked up from her book. “It’s not like her to just forget about us. Fluttershy, could you go see if there’s anything going on in Cloudsdale that might’ve held her up?”

“Sure. I’ll just―”

“GUYS!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she zoomed in, blowing their manes askew and leaving long streaks in the dirt as she landed. “Guys, you won’t believe who just showed up in Ponyville! Just guess! Guess!” she gushed, grabbing Pinkie Pie by her shoulders and shaking her. 

“Ooooooh, a guessing game! Oh, boy! I love guessing games!” squealed Pinkie Pie. “Is it the Thunderbolts?”

“No.”

“Princess Celestia?” tried Twilight.

“Better!” Rainbow Dash’s eyes sparkled with glee.

“A designer from Canterlot like Hoity Toity?” Rarity perked up.

“Guess again!”

“Buffalo Filly, Equestria’s greatest rodeo pony?” Applejack grinned.

“Impala, Moose, and Huggy Bear!” Rainbow Dash exploded, unable to contain herself.

They all gasped, their jaws dropping as each of them envisioned the ponies.

“You mean―” started Twilight.

“Team Free Will!” they said in unison.

Rarity’s eyes glittered. “Impala, the manliest pony in all of Equestria!” she sighed, picturing the tall unicorn with his shiny black coat, gorgeous green eyes, silver horn and knife cutie mark. She imagined herself in one of her best dress designs, her mane swept back, and Impala eyeing her with interest.

“Moose, one of the smartest ponies and the only bicorn in all of Equestria,” Twilight said in a breathy, awed voice.

“Huggy Bear, the sweetest pony in all Equestria―and with the weirdest cutie mark, too!” Fluttershy said, imagining the little trench coat on his flank.

“I just met Huggy Bear in Cloudsdale!” Rainbow Dash said excitedly. “He even called me _sister_!” She paused, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. “He did seem a little confused, though. I wonder what he meant about ‘vessels’ and ‘alternate universes.’”

“Oh, this is just marvelous!” Rarity sighed happily, lying back on her couch. “We simply _must_ go meet them! We must!” She sat bolt upright. “Oh! I’ll have to go change first! I can’t meet Impala looking like this. I have to put my best hoof forward!”

“Wow. How long are they in town?” asked Applejack.

“I don’t know, but everybody in Ponyville is going to be flocking to see them. We’ve gotta go now if we want any chance at all!” Rainbow Dash said. “Oh, I’ve just gotta challenge Impala to a race. I just _gotta_!” she added dreamily.

“You know, I think Shining Armor actually worked with Impala and Moose once on some kind of dragon hunt. It was a while back, though.”

“Holy crap, Twilight! Your brother worked with Impala and you never mentioned it? How could you not mention that?” Rainbow Dash squealed.

“I guess it just never came up. We should totally go meet them, though. Do you know where they are right now?”

“Just follow the crowd, I’d imagine,” said Applejack.

“Oh! Do you think Moose likes animals?” Fluttershy asked hopefully.

“Let’s quit gabbing and go find out!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed before bolting out of sight, blowing their manes out of whack again.


	2. Chapter 2

So the friends trotted off into town, all except Rarity, who rushed off to change clothes. In the town square, the ponies spotted a small crowd, over which they could just make out two horned heads towering above the rest.

“Hey, look!” Twilight said. “That must be Moose! See his double horns?”

The bicorn appeared to hear his name, and his head turned their direction. He smiled, and said something to the black unicorn next to him. The unicorn looked up at them, then seemed to excuse himself from the crowd. The two pushed through toward Twilight and the others.

“Hey! You Shining Armor’s sister?” said Impala as they trotted up.

“Oh, yeah! The name’s Twilight. These are my friends. This is Fluttershy, Applejack, and… Hey, where did Pinkie Pie go?”

“RIGHT HERE!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, popping up out of nowhere into Impala’s face and startling him. He jerked back, and awkwardly collided into his brother, knocking him flat on his rump. They sat in a heap on the ground, blinking bewilderedly. “Hi, there! Welcome to Ponyville! I’m Pinkie Pie. How about a welcome cake?” She offered a cake from atop her head, grinning playfully.

“Uh… no thanks,” said Moose, as he and his brother got to their feet.

“Okay, then! How about some pie?” she said, pulling one out of her welcome cart.

“Pie?” Impala’s eyes lit up hopefully. “What kind of pie?”

“Oh, I’ve got all kinds of pie!” she reached into her cart and started yanking them out with gusto, balancing them on her hooves, back, and head. “Cherry pie, blackberry cobbler, chocolate pie, apple pie, pie of many flavors! Oh, and pecan, and key lime, and―”

“Awesome! All of the above!” he said, taking the offered chocolate pie and diving in.

“So, you’re professional hunters or something, right?” Twilight said.

“Yeah. Yeah, we worked with your brother over in Seasaddle. Dragons raiding the town. We spoke to him again recently; he mentioned we might see you here.” Moose explained.

“So what brings you to Ponyville?” Applejack asked.

“Might have a hunt in the area,” Impala said, swallowing a mouthful of pie. “Cockatrice, we think.”

“Oh, you’re not going to hurt some poor little creature, are you?” Fluttershy objected.

“Poor little creature?” Impala repeated dubiously, sparing a “did I hear that right?” glance at his brother.

“Well, Fluttershy, they can be a problem. So can dragons, but they wouldn’t go after Spike,” Twilight reassured her.

“Spike?” asked Moose.

“Yeah, my friend. He’s just a baby dragon, and he’s really sweet,” Twilight explained.

“You’re _friends_ with a dragon?” asked Impala.

“Well, yeah. We―”

“Hey, guys!” called Rainbow Dash from above them. She landed in their midst, along with a white Pegasus with a black mane, who had a little trench coat mark on his flank.

“Huggy Bear, I want you to meet my friends. This is Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie.”

“WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, leaping up in front of the Pegasus with a huge grin on her face. Surprisingly, he didn’t flinch. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and stared at her with a blank expression.

“And who are you?” Impala asked absent-mindedly as he started in on a blackberry cobbler.

Rainbow Dash puffed herself up and beamed. “I’m Rainbow Dash… and I want to challenge you to a race. I hear you’re one of the fastest ponies in Equestria outside the Thunderbolts. Well, so am I.”

“Is that so?” he said, looking up from his pie. “Well, we’ll have to test that later. Huggy Bear, did you find what you were looking for?”

“No,” said the Pegasus, a troubled expression on his face. “It’s quite strange. I can’t pin down what exactly is wrong. I went to speak to my brother Cloud Commander, but somehow even his name doesn’t sound right.”

“His _name_ doesn’t sound right?” Moose repeated.

“It’s difficult to explain. I’m still looking into it.”

“Well, what did Cloud Commander say?” Moose asked.

“Something about our abilities malfunctioning. He can no longer read minds, for example.”

“You know, if you guys are having trouble, we’d love to help,” Applejack offered.

“Yeah, Fluttershy’s handled quite a few creature problems. You should hear about the time she stared down a cockatrice.”

Impala stared at Fluttershy, who was smiling at him sweetly with her head down, her cotton-candy pink mane perfectly groomed, and her wings delicately folded at her sides.

“You. Stared down a cockatrice?”

“Yeah, and that’s nothing compared to what she did with the sea serpent,” Pinkie Pie supplied proudly.

“Um, wow. We’ll have to hear about that sometime,” Moose replied. “Unfortunately, we should probably—”

“Hello, there!” Rarity called, announcing her own arrival. She tried, not-so-subtly, to pose fashionably before gracefully strutting into their midst. She had on a brand new design she’d just finished the other day, a summer-y white and red number with a wide-brimmed red hat to match.

Impala looked up with some interest. He wiped off his mouth and stood up to greet her.

“Guys, this is Rarity,” Twilight said.

“Why, how do you do?” Rarity said, batting her eyelashes at Impala from under her hat.

“Much better since you showed up,” he said, grinning.

Rarity chuckled. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You’re Impala, I take it? Your reputation does precede you.”

“I hope they’re saying nice things about me. Say, have you ever—”

“WELL, as I was going to say,” Moose interrupted, “we should get going. We might stop by and chat later, but we have some work to do.”

“Oh, we’re so sorry to bother you,” Fluttershy said softly.

“Not at all,” Moose said, smiling. “See you guys later.”

With that, the three ponies took their leave.

“Huh. I didn’t know Huggy Bear had family in Cloudsdale,” Twilight said.

“Oh, yeah. Cloud Commander’s pretty well-known himself, at least among us. He tries not to show himself much. He’s kinda weird. Not to mention his cutie mark.”

“What’s his cutie mark?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“A black unicorn.”

“Weeeeeeeeeeeeird!” Pinkie Pie said, her face scrunching up.

“Yeah. He’s like the strongest pony in Cloudsdale, though. Word has it he worked for Princess Celestia, but he claims he never did. Probably some super-secret spy or something.” Rainbow Dash elaborated.

“Well, maybe we could find a way to help those guys anyway. We could research the cockatrice or somethin’,” Applejack suggested.

“I’ve got plenty of books we could check. But then, if it’s really a problem Fluttershy can handle it.” Twilight replied.

“I think we need to have a PARTY! They haven’t been properly welcomed yet! They need to meet the rest of Ponyville!”

“Pinkie Pie, you just fed Impala two pies. I think they’re sufficiently welcomed,” Twilight disagreed.

“Well then, we’ll just throw them a happy being-my-new-super-best-buddies party!”

“Well, let us know if you need help setting that up,” Twilight replied. “I think I’ll go to the library and see what I can find out about Cloud Commander.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Oh, they’re always busy, but they don’t mind us watching. Do you, Ms. Bee?” Fluttershy asked the little bee buzzing about the little daisy. It smiled up at her and gave a little thumbs-up with one of its four hands before returning to its work.

Fluttershy and Huggy Bear sat outside Fluttershy's cottage, admiring some of Ponyville's wildlife and Fluttershy's friends.

“They are quite fascinating,” Huggy Bear replied as though in a trance. His wide blue eyes fixated on the little bee. “The honey they produce is actually their vomit, yet it is edible to a variety of other creatures. Their communication system is particularly intricate as well. Humans have never...” The pony paused, frowning as his face scrunched up a little and his eyes narrowed.

“Humans? What’s a human? Are they cute?”

“I… I don’t understand,” Huggy Bear replied, staring at Ms. Bee as she buzzed happily over to an orange angel trumpet and ducked her head inside. “I feel like I’m forgetting something important.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy said worriedly. “Are you sick? Or maybe enchanted? You know, my friend Twilight is great at magic and research, and I know she’d love to help if you have a magic problem.”

“That will not be necessary, thank you.” Huggy Bear concentrated on the little bee as he lost himself in thought.

“Well, I have lots of other creature friends who would love to meet you. Have you met my bunny, Angel?”

“Angel?” said Huggy Bear, looking up from the bee. His head tilted a little. There was something nagging at the back of his mind again, but it was gone almost as soon as he’d thought it.

“Oh, yes!” Fluttershy said cheerfully. “He’s the most adorable little bunny.”

Huggy Bear frowned. “Angels are… adorable?”

“Yes, very! Just look at him!”

The little bunny hopped over and put his hands on his hips as he scrutinized the pegasus. After a quick once-over, Angel sniffed once and glared at him.

Huggy Bear stared back.

Angel glared.

Huggy Bear stared, slowly leaning in closer to examine him.

Angel made what sounded almost like a growl, still glaring at the pegasus with his ears laid back and his nose stuck out.

Huggy Bear stared.

Angel glared.

“Uuuuuh… You know, I would love for you to spend some time with my other friends, too!” Fluttershy said, chuckling nervously and smiling apologetically at Huggy Bear as she scooped up her agitated bunny and tried to soothe him. He squirmed in her forelegs. “And I didn’t have much time to talk to your friends, either. We should go see them. Do you know where they went?”

“Impala is interviewing locals about the potential cockatrice problem. I believe Moose went with him, as he usually does.”

“Well, let’s go find them!” she said, struggling with the increasingly violent bunny in her forelegs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw I had two subscribers and felt ever-so-slightly guilty about not writing more. So here is some more. I do actually have an idea of how Team Free Will got to Equestria now, so I might finish it.
> 
> Unfortunately, my writing quality is not great as of late. Practice makes perfect, though, right?

“Why don’t you just start from the beginning?” Impala said smoothly to Mayor Mare.

Mayor Mare stood at the foot of the steps to the town hall and adjusted her spectacles as she cleared her throat. She gave the two gigantic ponies another once-over, and decided that, sure! These guys looked legit! “Well,” she began with a huff. She didn’t like not having a whole speech prepared. “I haven’t seen it personally, but we’ve had some complaints near the Everfree Forest. Someone’s dog was turned to stone, and then all of these stone statues of little animals started appearing in the forest. They would make quite good garden decorations, come to think of it,” she added, tapping her chin with her hoof as she pictured a nice bunny display at home.

Moose raised his eyebrows a tad, but began again in his most professional voice. “Can you tell us who exactly reported these statues?”

“Why yes,” Mayor Mare said emphatically, pressing one hoof to her chest. “It was our own dear Applejack from Sweet Apple Acres. But you know, the Everfree Forest is known for its dangerous creatures and… _unnatural_ behavior,” she said, cringing a little. “It’s really no surprise there’d be a cockatrice.”

Impala and Moose exchanged a meaningful look. “What exactly do you mean by ‘unnatural’?” Impala asked.

“Oh, it’s no bother, I assure you. Everyone knows better than to go gallivanting about back there, and I really must—” Mayor Mare began.

Impala nudged Moose, bumping his shoulder. He jerked his head toward the mayor. Moose looked as if he was about to argue, but the mayor was full speed ahead trying to dismiss them, so he was left with no choice. The large pony sighed.

“Mayor Mare,” he said, his voice suddenly taking on a seductive quality.

She paused.

Moose’s expression softened into a plaintive puppy face, and both his horns glowed a sky blue as he began to exercise the special power that gave him his puppy-face cutie mark. He looked deep into her eyes, his own wide and bright. “We would _really_ appreciate it if you could tell us anything more about this,” he said with the sweetest smile he could manage.

“Uh… why… yes, of course,” she said, hypnotically staring back.

“Thank you _so_ much for your cooperation,” he said, as Impala smirked behind him and flicked his tail. It worked _every_ time.

“Oh, well, of course!” she replied absent-mindedly as she gazed into his eyes.

“We would really love you to tell us about the Everfree Forest’s ‘unnatural’ behavior,” he said.

“Yes. Unnatural…” she murmured. “The plants grow on their own, and the animals… They just take care of _themselves_ ,” she mumbled. She was clearly so high she might as well have been having a tea party on the moon with Princess Luna. “And… and the clouds just move all by themselves. All kinds of… _creatures_ ,” she continued dazedly, losing herself in her own thoughts. “Timber wolves… parasprites… sea serpent… You have _beautiful_ eyes,” she said dreamily, laughing a little drunkenly.

“Thank you,” Moose said genially. “We really appreciate your help. Now, where is Sweet Apple Acres exactly?”

“OH! I KNOW! I KNOW! PICK ME, PICK ME!” shrieked Pinkie Pie, bounding up out of nowhere and bowling the giant pony over. The brothers tumbled to the ground in a heap. “I’d LOVE to cooperate!” She said, beaming down at them as she invaded their personal space and pressed her nose against Moose’s.

“Hey, you’re the pie girl!” Impala said, cracking a smile as he and his brother righted themselves.

“Yes indeedy-doodle! I’ll show you where Sweet Apple Acres is! That’s where my good friend Applejack lives! She has a brother who’s big and tall just like you,” she said, zooming around them and measuring their backs, necks, and horns by holding her hooves apart and trying to gauge the distance.

“Great,” Moose said, sighing as he glanced after the mayor, who slammed the door to the town hall behind her. He nodded slowly. “Just great.”

“Oh my goodness! You just have the longest most luxurious-est mane ever!” Pinkie Pie said, grabbing a fistful of Moose’s dark brown hair and stretching it out in front of her with a look of absolute wonder on her face.

“Lead the way to Sweet Apple Acres!” Impala replied, smirking at his brother’s obvious discomfort.

“You… You remind me of… someone…” Moose said, eyeing the pink pony with suspicion and a growing sense of unease.

“GREAT! You can tell me all about her on the way! And once we see Applejack, then I can show you the Everfree Forest before your party! THIS WAY!” she screamed, happily pointing down the road.

“Party?” Moose mouthed in silent alarm, but Impala just chuckled and trotted off after Pinkie Pie.


	5. Chapter 5

Twilight Sparkle hunched over the desk in her study with a determined look on her face. Her horn glowed pink as she levitated several books near her head, sliding them onto her desk one after the other and rifling through them.

Spike bustled about behind her, sifting through the books on the shelf and haphazardly dropping them into stacks on the floor in a semi-orderly fashion. He’d shoved the “already-inspected” pile off to the side, but Twilight’s study was beginning to look like a books-only garbage dump.

With an exasperated sigh, Twilight slammed a book shut, startling the little dragon and Owlowiscious. “I’m telling you, Spike, there has to be _something_. Rainbow Dash said Cloud Commander is really well known in Cloudsdale, but I can’t remember ever hearing about him.” She opened another book, rubbing her temple with her hoof, and then paused. “You know, come to think of it, I can’t even remember the first time I heard about Team Free Will.”

“You said he’s rumored to work for Princess Celestia, right? Why don’t you just send her a letter?”

“I’m not sure I want to get her involved just yet, Spike. They didn’t exactly ask for our help, and I don’t want to be too nosy,” she said, trotting over to Spike’s Equestrian history pile and glancing at it worriedly. “And I certainly don’t want to bother Celestia about a simple rumor. For all we know, it’s just gossip. And you _know_ what gossip can do, right?”

“Yeah,” Spike said sadly. “Gabby Gums caused a lot of trouble, huh?”

Twilight nodded sagely. “Exactly. I’m not going to Celestia until I have some solid evidence. And anyway, asking Huggy Bear about rumors won’t be much help to him.”

Spike’s eyes lit up. “I know! Maybe you can’t talk to Princess Celestia, but you can talk to Shining Armor!”

“Hey, yeah!” Twilight brightened at the thought. “I can ask him about his work with Impala and Moose! Maybe that’ll give me a clue. You’re the best, Spike.”

“Aw, don’t mention it,” he said, blushing a little and clasping his hands behind his back.

“Okay, then! Take a letter, Spike,” she ordered. The little dragon promptly whipped out a quill and paper.

“Dear Shining Armor,” she began, trotting across the room and thinking to herself. “Your friends Impala and Moose just arrived in Ponyville. I was wondering if you could tell me a little more about how you met them. When did you first hear about Team Free Will, and how did you end up on the job together? I would ask your friends, but they’re busy on a job right now. Please reply soon. Love, your LSBFF—”

“Huh?” Spike said, looking up from the page in bafflement.

“Little sister best friend forever?” Twilight said as though it were perfectly obvious.

“Oh. Right,” Spike said, scribbling away.

“Love, your LSBFF, Twilight Sparkle. That should do it!”

Spike obligingly rolled up the letter and fired away at it. “Good. Now, maybe we can stop the research for a bit and eat?” he asked hopefully. His stomach growled in agreement.

“Alright, fair enough,” Twilight said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have most of another chapter written to follow this, so there should be at least one more chapter relatively soon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's still very dialogue-heavy. I'm working on it. But my biggest problem right now is procrastination, so I'll try to finish it first and think about revisions later.

Pinkie Pie bounced her way through the front gate of Sweet Apple Acres, making a strange squeaky-toy noise on each impact with the ground. The two giant hunters trailed behind her at a brisk trot. They took in the big pinkish-red barn with its lavender roof and apple weathervane, a quaint little setup for a quaint little town.

In fact, Impala mused, it was a little _too_ quaint. Everything was quaint. The whole town seemed to have gone through some sort of twilight zone world-wash that stained everything with a happy, girly palette of pinks, yellows, pastel greens and lavenders. The animals were too cutsey, the food was too sweet (which he’d never thought he would say) and every time he saw a train, cart, or carriage, he got this strange wistful sensation. He’d never noticed it before, but his instincts were suddenly becoming aware of… Something. Yes, something. Way to go, instincts; that was so very helpful, as the reader can imagine.

“You think maybe Huggy Bear’s onto something?” Impala asked quietly as Pinkie Pie sang loudly about parties up ahead of them.

“What? You mean about something wrong with the universe?”

“Yeah. I mean…” Impala eyed the extremely orderly orchard in the distance. “Are you starting to get the feeling we don’t belong here?”

“In Ponyville?” Moose replied, raising an eyebrow.

“No, in Equestria.”

Moose halted, blinking in surprise. “Wha… Impala, where else _could_ we be?”

Impala pawed at the ground with one hoof, trying to find the words. “Look, it’s crazy, I know. Crazy for _us_ kind of crazy. But I’m starting to feel like there’s something to it. Don’t you feel like something’s _off_?”

“Honestly? Not really. Except…” Moose’s forehead crinkled in thought and he shot a glance at the Energizer-battery pony up ahead; she’d gone to knock at the door and was happily bouncing in place like a rampant bedspring. She reminded him of _someone_. When she started messing with his mane and getting in his face. Someone with a weird name. Started with a B? Maybe?

He shook it off. “Look, can we just focus on one case at a time, here? We have actual reports about a cockatrice. And this forest. Maybe that’s all this feeling is. Maybe it’s just because of this freak forest.”

“Freak forest? Is that a forest made of freaks or a tree-forest with freaks in it?” Pinkie Pie said from over Moose’s shoulder, startling the giant brown pony again.

“I believe he meant ‘freak’ as an ungrammatical description of the Everfree Forest,” Huggy Bear said from over Impala’s shoulder, startling the big black pony. Impala closed his eyes and exhaled.

“Huggy Bear. Could you not do that?”

“Do what?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Never mind,” Impala said as Fluttershy landed next to the stalkerish pegasus. “Sorry, I can’t seem to remember your name. You’re one of Twilight’s friends, right?”

“Yes, hello! I’m Fluttershy. I was just showing Huggy Bear some of my creature friends,” she said happily. “He gets along so well with bees. Have you had any luck with your investigation?”

“We’re working on it,” Moose replied.

“And we’re happy to help,” Applejack added, approaching with Big McIntosh at her side. “What can we do ya for, boys?”

Moose took a deep breath. “Hi! Uuuuh… Applejack, right?”

“That’s my name! Don’t wear it out. This here’s my brother, Big Mac.”

“Hih-yup.”

“I’m Applebloom!” said a tiny yellow pony peeking out from behind the others. She gazed up at them in wonder and scooted right up to Moose. “Whoa! Do you really hunt monsters?”

“Yes, we do!” said Impala, leaning in to give her a mega-watt smile. “And we had a few questions for you all about a hunt we’re on right now.”

“Wow! Can I help?”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Applejack said, wrapping a foreleg around the eager pony and dragging her back. “That’s a little dangerous for a youngin’ like yourself.”

“Right you are,” Impala chipped in. “We understand you found some stone animals in the Everfree Forest?”

“Oh, yeah,” she said. “What d’ya need to know?”

Impala had the sneaking sensation that the pony reminded him of someone. Maybe it was the blonde mane or the down-to-earth attitude. He pushed the thought aside, though he couldn’t help feeling an inexplicable, abrupt fondness for the pony. “Well, what were you doing when you found them? Did you actually see a cockatrice?”

“No, I didn’t. Not this time. Fluttershy here once found one in there, so it’s not much of a surprise. I’d just gone in there to have a talk to Zecora.”

“Zecora?” Impala pressed.

Pinkie Pie popped up next to him, her forehooves held high, and started singing again. “She’s a helpful enchantress, and she does helpful dances! When you look into her eyes, she will put you in trances!” She wrapped a foreleg around Impala’s neck and gestured out into the distance as though bidding him to imagine it.

Impala and Moose gawked as Pinkie promptly slinked away into the background of her big-lipped alligator moment.

“Uuuh… Yeah,” Applejack said, shaking off Pinkie’s weirdness. “She came to Ponyville a couple years ago. She’s got all kinds of knowledge of potions and herbs and whatnot. I’d just gone to see if she had anything to keep pests out of the orchard.”

“So she just lives in the forest?” Moose pondered. “I thought that place was known for being ‘unnatural.’ Why would anyone live in there?”

“That’s just her way. To each her own, you know. I can introduce you if you like. But I don’t think a cockatrice is too much of a problem. As long as it don’t come into town, we don’t much worry about it.” She beamed up at the brothers. “Anything else we can help you boys with?”

The brothers exchanged a look. What was with these ponies? They were so blasé about the whole monster thing. Were they in on it or something? But then, why would they report it at all?

“All due respect, what happens when the cockatrice _does_ come into town?” Moose said. “Those things can turn people to stone.”

“Oh, we’ve got Fluttershy to handle critters like that.”

“Aw, thanks,” Fluttershy said, bowing her head and nudging the ground with her forehoof.

“Don’t mention it, Fluttershy. Besides, you boys don’t know what Ponyville ponies can do when we set our minds to it.”

“I would like to meet this Zecora,” Huggy Bear put in. “Impala, if this forest is renowned as unnatural, perhaps I may find some answers there. This Zecora may know something useful.”

“You sure about that?” Impala asked.

“Cloudsdale is positioned especially close to the Everfree Forest, giving the forest significant proximity to all pegasi. Something there may be causing the disturbance in our abilities.”

“Right. Well, I guess we’ll take you up on that offer, then,” Impala said, smiling at Applejack.

“GREAT! I’ll go get your party ready!” Pinkie Pie shouted before zooming off into the distance.

“What party?” Moose mouthed at Impala again.

“What’s the matter, Moose? Loosen up a little. Have some fun.”

Moose narrowed his eyes at his brother. “Well, I think I’ll go check the local library, see what they have to say about the Everfree Forest.”

“Spoil-sport,” his brother smirked.

“Well, Big Mac? I’ll be back in a while. And you help Big Mac, Applebloom,” Applejack ordered.

“Aaaaaaaaw, but I wanted to go see Zecora!”

“Maybe another time,” Applejack replied. “And by the way,” she added, turning to Impala. “Rainbow Dash tells me you owe her a race. Now, if I’m gonna show you to Zecora, I’m gonna want in on that. Can’t let Rainbow Dash just _have_ the title of fastest pony, now can I?”

“Well, now, everyone’s a big-shot. You got it, sister,” he smirked back. “Just don’t cry too hard when I leave you in the dust.”

“As if,” she retorted, leading the way to the Everfree Forest.


End file.
